Manufacturing Industry

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the change in (a) manufacturing output and
142W(b) productivity in Scotland in 1985 compared with 1984; and how the figures compare with the figures for the United Kingdom as a whole.

Manfacturing output increased by 4.2 per cent. in Scotland in 1985 and productivity by 4.8 per cent. Broadly comparable figures for the United Kingdom are 3.1 per cent. and 2.8 per cent. respectively (exact comparison is not possible since the Scottish output index is not adjusted for stock change, whereas the United Kingdom index is, and the Scottish figure for productivity does not take account of the self-employed, whereas the United Kingdom figure does).